Starmage
by Wanderer D
Summary: An experiment in Hyperspace sends Galen into an unexpected adventure.
1. Starmage Chapter 1

STARMAGE  
  
***  
  
"What's wrong?" Captain Matthew Gideon asked his second in command,  
Lt. Matheson.  
  
"Reports from the computers have been jumping dramatically from one  
conclusion to another, and as of yet, there's still no explanation for  
that... 'cloud', I think Max called it." The telepath answered.  
  
Gideon looked at the strange 'cloud' covering the general area where  
they would have to jump to normal space. As much as he hated it, he  
had to admit the Archeologist had chosen a good name.   
  
Made out of unknown particles and throwing of various degrees of  
energy levels, the cloud was blocking the next possible area for the  
Excalibur to arrive at a recently-contacted planet, which, if rumors  
were true, had not only managed to fend of the Shadows for countless  
years, but survived an infectation attempt made by the elder race.  
  
"Galen, I know you can hear me, so tell me, have you encountered  
something like this before?" Mathew asked to the air.  
  
They waited a moment before a small hologram of the technomage, the  
size of Matthew's head, appeared floating before them.   
  
"Matthew, if you think I will be at your disposal every time you  
find something STRANGE floating around in either Hyperspace or Space,  
think again! This IS an exploration ship, after all, filled from  
point to end with snotty archeologists, a rather large group of  
so-called scientists AND military trained personel." The small  
apparition lectured them.  
  
Gideon sighed. "Yes, I know, Galen, but that doesn't answer my question.  
Have you encountered anything like it?"  
  
Galen glared at him from under his hood. Or at least the apparition  
did, Gideon didn't know or care if it was really Galen he was talking  
to or just a figment of the Technomage's spell. "I will let you know  
that interrupting-"  
  
"Yes or no will suffice." Gideon grunted.  
  
"No." the apparition admited rather grumpily. "However, unlike your  
current group of... advisors, I have actually managed to find out a  
little of the 'cloud' as you so imaginatevly decided to call it."  
  
Gideon and Matheson exchanged glances. "And what would that be?" the  
captain asked.  
  
The small hologram conjured up another holografic display (bigger  
than himself) for their benefit. It clearly showed the expanse of  
the 'cloud' around the area they intended to cross. "Other than the  
sudden jumps of energy, we have nothing to worry about, if we time  
it right." Galen started explaining.  
  
"Only if we time it right?" Gideon asked wearily. "What do you have  
in mind, Galen?"  
  
Galen glanced at them askance. "Well, I believe it's quite obvious,  
isn't it?"  
  
"You expect us to jump right in?!" Matheson asked the small hologram.  
  
"Good, I was beginning to think I had assumed wrong when I decided that  
the crew had intelectual capabilities."  
  
"Galen..." Gideon warned.  
  
"It's bloody obvious, while the jumps in the energy signature vary  
greatly, they follow a certain order, immediately after the highest  
surge, the energy goes down to almost zero difference with the normal  
energy waves of Hyperspace." Galen explained.  
  
Matheson went to check the Technomage's observation, and came back  
after a few seconds.   
  
"The Technomage is right," he said, showing the analysis with a small  
device. "Timing it right, we can open the Jumpgate and cross it  
before the next energy surge ."  
  
Gideon considered it. "Well, it's not as if we had all the time in the  
universe... let's go! Calculate the maneuver, Lieutenant, we'll take  
the chance."  
  
Matheson nodded and went to consult the operators.  
  
Gideon glanced at the small hologram, which was quite labouriously  
jumping from monitor to monitor, and generally annoying everyone in  
the bridge. "Thanks, Galen, I think you should go back to that  
important analysis you were working on that I interrupted."  
  
The technomage's hologram glared at him, then disappeared.  
  
Matheson returned after a moment. "We'll need a few minutes to charge  
the gate, but it'll be at least half an hour before the next energy  
jump."  
  
Gideon nodded. "I'll go check on Galen... he seemed very annoyed this  
time. And I'd like to know what's happening in my ship at all times."  
  
***  
  
Galen was, in fact, occupied. He barely noticed his small hologram had  
left the bridge after making a nuisance out of itself.   
  
Good.   
  
Now they should leave him alone for the few minutes necessary to activate  
everything needed for the spell of capturing.   
  
This was a very delicate procedure, since he would literally 'capture'  
a piece of the cloud in a sphere of energy containing it in a similar  
envyronment for further study. The envyronment being Hyperspace, it  
required a LOT of concentration, as well as hundreds of protecting  
programs and spells.  
  
Stopping one last time to re-check everything, he started his spell.  
  
Summoning in his minds eye the blank screen where he would visualize de  
ecuations for a modified spell of shielding, starting with the most  
powerfull of the variants. The shorter the spell variation the more  
powerfull it would be.  
  
Galen waited calmly for the peak to drop, as the information had  
predicted. When it did, he cast the spell on his mind's eye, letting  
the Tech send the energy out of the Excalibur and into space.  
  
A part of his mind noted that Gideon had entered the landing bay  
where he was, but was wisely waiting for him to finish, and staying in  
the doorway... however, something went wrong. Suddenly the cloud  
exploded in energy, breaking the original order and rebounding the  
energy back to Galen.  
  
As the energy cackled, Gideon had just a one-second-clear view of  
Galen, before the circle around him exploded, filling everything with  
smoke.  
  
Gideon ran towards the circle, but didn't step farther into it,  
fearfull of what the Mage had cast to protect himself.   
  
When the smoke cleared, he could clearly see the unconcious figure  
lying on the floor.  
  
He cursed.  
  
***  
  
The bright flash of light that had blinded him, finally subsided, and  
as Galen looked around he was suddenly surrounded by the clicking of  
various guns of diverse types being pointed at him.  
  
"Damn." he swore, unconciously mimicking Gideon's same expression.  
  
***  
  
"Results, Doctor?" Gideon asked, aproaching the dark-skinned woman.  
  
She looked at him over her shoulder. "Oh, well, he's genetically  
speaking, human... as well as in appearance and physical examinations."  
  
"So he's human." Gideon summed up, getting closer to the crystal to  
take a look at their new 'guest'. "What's with the military gettup?"  
  
"I don't know, but the firearms he carried were original."  
  
Gideon arched an eyebrow. "Original? How so?"  
  
"Well, I had them scanned and compare to early 21st century weapons  
and his rifle matches those pretty much... and it wasn't a copy, so..."  
  
"Okay, but tell me how it came to be into his hands? And how he arrived  
in the Excalibur?"  
  
"That, Captain, I don't know, I guess our best chance is just to wait  
for him to wake up." She answered calmly.  
  
***  
  
"I would suggest you lay down your weapons," Galen stated calmly eyeing  
the gathered soldiers. "before one of you gets hurt."  
  
The closest soldier, a man with a deep frown and white hair dressed in  
a military scout's gettup, addressed him. "I don't think you've quite  
understood the nature of your predicament."  
  
"Oh, I have." Galen stated activating a shield around him. He then  
raised his staff, quickly casting another spell, that sent the nearest  
soldiers reeling.  
  
Immediately the other soldiers started shooting, but as predicted, his  
shield prevented anything from touching him.  
  
Suddenly, he saw a dark-skinned man with a strange symbol in his  
forehead lift a long lance-like weapon and point it at him, it's point  
opened and energy crackled on it's three pointed ends.  
  
Galen jumped to the right just as one hell of a plasma ray flew towards  
him, going right through his shield and burning the side of his left  
arm.  
  
Galen clenched his teeth and glared at him, rasing his own staff and  
activating a shield two times stronger than the last one, surprised at  
the amount of power the thing had. "That was not nice."  
  
The black man ignored his words and shot again. This time, it hit  
squarely, making Galen stumble back from the impact, but unharmed.  
Everyone was surprised enough for Galen to start spellcasting  
seriously.  
  
So, they wanted a challenge? He'd give it to them. Three fireballs  
appeared on his hands, floating for a moment before shooting off towards  
the guy with the plasma lance, who dodged one, but recieved the other  
two, one on the arm, the other on the chest.  
  
Suddenly, a small group of imps appeared out of the dark corners of the  
room and started attacking the soldiers, who shouted and started  
shooting at Galen's small critters.  
  
Chaos ruled the general room, while an elderly man, in old-style earth  
uniform shouted through a microfone for things to stop. Galen ignored  
the shouting, shooting, imp laughs and small explosions and concentrated,  
trying to find as much information in the primitive computers this guys  
had to havean idea on how to act next.  
  
What he saw in his mind's eye surprised him.  
  
***  
  
Gideon recieved the message a few hours later. Their guest had  
awakened, and wanted to speak to the person in charge.  
  
He found Dr. Lang speaking with their guest. They stood up when he  
arrived.  
  
Dr. Lang excused herself for a moment to draw Gideon away from the  
strange man.  
  
"What is it?" Gideon asked.  
  
"Matthew, this man is very intelligent, I think you should think what  
you're going to ask him carefully." She said.  
  
Gideon looked over her shoulder to the stranger, who was watching them  
intently while he waited. "Why?"  
  
Dr. Lang looked at him squarely. "He learnt our language in just a  
matter of minutes... without any help."  
  
Gideon looked a little startled by this, and nodded, he'd be careful,  
for now.  
  
He approached and offered his hand to the stranger, who took it, and   
shaked hands. "I'm Captain Mathew Gideon," he started. "What's your  
name?"  
  
The man smiled a little uncertainly and sat back. "My name's Daniel  
Jackson... um..." He looked around. "Could you tell me why I'm here?" 


	2. Starmage Chapter 2

Starmage Chapter 2 -By Wanderer D-  
  
Disclaimer: Yes, I know. You know. Don't sue.  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"So..." Daniel said, eyeing the technology around him "Did I get to Tollan 2? If so, I wish to speak to Omoc... uh... Where am I?"  
  
He was sitting in the infirmary of the Excalibur; Daniel had seen advanced Earth technology only in the form of the people of Tollan, when their leader, Omoc, had taken him along to send a transmission signal to the Nok. Right now, he was being interrogated by Gideon, while Dr. Lang scanned him with a small device.  
  
Gideon sighed. "You're on the Earth Alliance's flagship, Excalibur, as for how you got here... I can only say our local Technomage seemingly screwed up big time..."  
  
Daniel looked around. "This is an Earth vessel? Incredible! Is it based on Goa'uld technology?"  
  
"Goa'uld?" Gideon asked.  
  
*** Earth SG1 ***  
  
Galen looked about the chaos as every soldier in the room tried to shoot the imps. Small spheres of fast moving light... that were just that, -spheres of light- added to the general mayhem as everyone dodged the completely harmless spheres, shot at them and managed to shoot each other.  
  
He shrugged off another plasma blast. Okay, he had browsed thru the internet and found he was several years in the past... a past which was not consistent with his own... that meant that he was in another dimension, and that, somehow, as primitive as these guys were -excluding the plasma technology and the large Egyptian teleported behind him- they had the means to send him back.  
  
Deciding to stop them before they hated him more, -he liked to be hated, but to a certain extent only- he raised his staff and brought the butt end down on the floor. Hard.  
  
"ENOUGH!" He ordered, his magic amplifying his voice as a golden dragon roared from behind him.  
  
Everything became quiet. The spheres of light hovered in front of the large window with the fat General, who had the eyes the size of dinner plates.  
  
Every soldier in the room had stopped struggling, and even the imps had opened their eyes in surprise. One that had started climbing the wall at the back slid down unnoticed.  
  
Galen coughed softly. That was... an interesting reaction. He didn't know he could impress his own light spheres.  
  
"I think we started on the wrong foot." Galen said, letting the dragon fade out. The Imps followed, and finally, the light spheres did a spin around the Mage before turning into a spiral of sparkling dust that disappeared mysteriously.  
  
The fat guy behind the window finally spoke out. "So, who are you and how did you get here?"  
  
"My name's Galen, and I really don't know how I got here..."  
  
"Are you an agent of Toth?" The man with the symbol and the plasma lance asked.  
  
"The ancient god of Magic?" Galen asked, pondering the question. "No, not really, I don't think much about gods... not much after meeting some of them, that is..." he finished darkly.  
  
The dark-skinned man nodded, but still eyed him warily. "Your technology reminded me of Toth. But you don't wear the normal cloth of a priest of the false god."  
  
Galen smirked. "In my experience, friend, there are no true gods."  
  
"Hold it!" The guy with the scowl interrupted. "Before this turns into Theology class, I think we should go someplace else." he looked around at the destroyed area, where a few soldiers that had been hit by their peers tried to get up. Fortunately no-one seemed really hurt.  
  
"I agree..." Galen started.  
  
"Captain Jack O'Neil." Jack answered. "Follow me."  
  
Galen nodded and followed Jack, Teal'c and Sam out of the room. Up in the Control Room, General Hammond sighed. This was going to be a loooong day.  
  
***  
  
Galen's staff rested in the table just outside his reach.  
  
"So, let me get this straight," Hammond started. "You're a mage from another dimension that somehow got trapped here changing places with our Archaeologist."  
  
Galen nodded. "That about sums it up."  
  
"Great..." Hammond sighed. "Just as we were about to check Planet PJ6-958."  
  
Jack stood up. "General, we still have to go... I'm not saying Daniel doesn't matter, but, if it's true that Apophis is constructing that large vessel the Tok'ra warned us about, then we should investigate, and if possible stop him. You know which planet he'll attack first."  
  
"Jack O'Neil is correct," Teal'c said, nodding slightly. "We cannot allow Apophis such a huge advantage over the other System Lords, therefore controlling the Goa'uld."  
  
"Since we're on the top list of annoying enemies, the first thing he'll do is attack earth." Sam quipped in.  
  
General Hammon nodded. "I know! But I still don't like the idea of sending you three alone..."  
  
"Then I'll go with them." Galen stated from his seat at the other end of the rectangular table.  
  
"What?!" Hammond and Jack asked at the same time.  
  
"I said..."  
  
"I heard what you said," Hammond interrupted. "But, this is a very important mission, where the fate of..."  
  
"Yes," Galen interrupted. "I know. I understood. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm right here with you." he looked around. "Besides, this way I would still be saving the Earth... not from the Drakh, but at least I'd have something to do besides sitting idly, and waiting for destruction to overwhelm me if you three failed."  
  
There was an uncomfortable silence while everyone looked at Galen.  
  
"I say we give him a chance." Teal'c said.  
  
The others looked surprised, but eventually nodded.  
  
"He's already at the service of Earth, in a way..." Sam said.  
  
"And we know he can cause much Chaos, if there's the need..." Jack muttered.  
  
"But still..." Hammond said. "I saw him create all those creatures, and fireballs, and the light-things... but will those work against a whole army of Goa'uld?"  
  
Galen smiled. "I've got more tricks than you can imagine."  
  
Hammond nodded. "Fine. Then you'll go with SG-1. Your mission is as follows: You will only engage in combat if necessary. You are to gather as much information on the Warship as possible and come back in 10 hours. Understood?"  
  
Everyone nodded and General Hammond stood up. "Now, if you all leave, I would like to talk to Galen."  
  
Jack and the others walked outside the room and closed the door. Moving a little from the immediate area to have a quick conference.  
  
"What do you guys think?" Jack asked.  
  
"Well, his technology is way more advanced than ours." Sam said. "I took a glance at his staff... I didn't see any buttons on it, or panels to release energy."  
  
"I think his power comes from another source than the staff." Teal'c said.  
  
"Why?" Jack asked. "To me it looked like the staff was the source. You saw how he used it to create the force field."  
  
Teal'c nodded. "But still, Jack O'Neil, he gave the staff without much trouble. I would think that if he were truly harmless without it, he would have been more careful about it."  
  
"Do you think we did the right thing in convincing Hammond to let us take him with us?" Sam asked worriedly.  
  
"I'd rather have a threat like him in another planet than here, if he is an enemy." Jack answered just as the door opened and Galen walked out, staff in hand, followed by Hammond. "We just have one way of finding out..." he said as he walked up to the Technomage, leaving Sam and Teal'c behind.  
  
END Chapter 2  
  
AN: Yes. I know I took too long. Yes, I know this is short, but, it's all coming back to me now, so just hold on a little longer for things to start moving again, ok?  
  
-D  
  
C&C, R&R welcome! 


End file.
